Best Friends Forever
by rose.savage2
Summary: Jeremy Bolt age 12 and Sally Dennis age 8 find out the true meaning of friendship in this pre-HCTB storyline


Best Friends Forever

"Meowwwwwwww meowwwwwwww"

Jeremy was walking down the trail heading into town when he heard the pitiful cry.

"Meowwwwwwww meowwwwwww"

Pushing some brush aside, he saw a trap with a small black and white kitten in it.

"S-stupid t-trappers " he thought to himself. So he released the cat and taking his shirt off, the twelve year old boy wrapped the small animal up in it.

He saw the little dark haired girl skipping in a circle in front of the cabin. Sally was here wanting to play again. She was only eight and there were no other girls her age to play with so Jeremy had taken it upon himself to find time to spend with her.

"Jeremy, hi Jeremy! What ya got?"

"Its a k-kitten S-Sally, W-wanna help me t-take c-care of it?"

Sally Dennis was the only person Jeremy Bolt felt comfortable talking to because of his stutter. He was even quiet around his older brothers Jason and Joshua. But maybe it was because the little girl remembered how it was when she couldn't talk right, calling him and his brothers "Dason, Doswa and Dewemy"

"C-Come on S-Sally. H-here you h-hold the k-kitten while I p-put on a c-clean s-shirt and g-get some rags t-to c-clean it's l-leg"

Jeremy went to the drawer of the old dresser that held his shirts and put one on, then he went to over to the rag basket and found a clean rag. Putting wood on the fire, Jeremy heated up some water. As he leaned down to clean the now purring kitten's leg, he noticed a spot of blood on Sally's knee.

"L-looks like the k-kitten isn't the o-only one hurt. S-Sally, you sk-skinned your k-knee again."

"I know Jeremy," replied the little girl."If only that brother of yours would stop pulling my pigtails, I could keep a pair of stockings nice."

"J-Joshua again? I thought so. S-Sally, he j-just does that to t-tease you."

"I know he does but it makes me so mad."

After first taking care of the kitten in Sally's lap, Jeremy gently wiped the dried blood off the young child's knee.

"T-There. N-Now let's put the k-kitten in this b-box and go into t-town. I'll b-buy you a l-licorice at P-Perkins store."

The two children tossed rocks and sticks and nudged each other in the type of play that children often engage in. All of a sudden as they reached the totem pole, they saw Matt McKay, a local youth who took great pleasure in teasing the younger children, but especially Jeremy.

"JJJJJ-Jeremy BBBBBolt. You can't ttttttalk"

"Matt McKay, you stop that right now and say you're sorry!" yelled Sally.

"NNNNNNo SSSSally Dennis."

"Come on Sally, let's go."said Jeremy, not wanting to get into a fight with the older boy.

"No Jeremy, not until Matt 'pologizes to you."

"S'okay Sally."

"No it isn't. Matt you need to be taught a lesson!"

"And you're gonna do it...a girl is gonna teach me a lesson?" Matt laughed at the thought.

"I sure am!" Said the little girl.

"How are you gonna do that Sally?"

"Like this Matt" and the smaller child put her head down and ran into the larger youth, knocking him off his feet and into a mud puddle.

"You little brat! I'm gonna get you for that!" Matt started to grab at Sally.

Jeremy, usually such an even tempered boy said "N-No you aren't M-Matt"

"Who's gonna stop me Bolt? You...you couldn't stop anything."

Jeremy gently pushed Sally behind him. She peeked around the older boy.

"Yeah m-me Matt. You w-won't hurt S-Sally."

Matt took a swing at Jeremy. The younger boy ducked and came back with a punch that connected with the jaw of the other boy.

Just as that happened, out of Lottie's Saloon came Jason and Joshua Bolt, Jed Dennis and Cal McKay, Matt's father. The Bolt brothers each took one of Jeremy's arms while Jed picked his sister up from behind and Cal stood there looking at his son.

"What in the sam hill is going on here?" asked Cal.

Neither boy said a word, just stood there glaring at each other. Sally stood there too, her tiny chin sticking out staring at Matt. Since it was obvious to Jason and Joshua that they weren't going to get a word out of their brother and that unless his pa asked him directly, Matt McKay wasn't talking either, it was left up to Jed to get what had happened out of Sally.

Jed stooped down and hunched eye level with his sister. "Now sally since you seem to be in the middle of all this will you tell me what happened?"

"From the start Jed?"

"Yes Sally, from the start."

"'Kay. It all started when Jeremy found this kitten."

"Kitten? What kitten?"

"He found it in a trap and we took it to the cabin so we could make it better."

"So the fight started over a kitten?"

"No Jed, the kitten was before the fight."

"We'll talk about the kitten later. Sally, I thought I was clear. Starting with the fight."

"Hmph Jed, ya shoulda said that. What do ya 'spect I'm only eight?"

Jason let out a chuckle"Now that has to be the strangest logic I ever heard, but she's right Jed." Even Jeremy and Matt smiled at the little girl.

"Sally, Sally sweetie, tell me what started the fight."

" "Kay Jed. We was walking and Matt started teasing Jeremy so I told him to stop."

"Is that true son? Were you teasing Jeremy?"

"Yes sir."

"Then what happened Sally?"

"Well I told him that he needed to 'pologize to Jeremy, or else I was gonna teach him a lesson."

"You did?"

"Yes Jed. Then I put my head down like this and ran into Matt and knocked him into that mud puddle. Then he went to grab me and Jeremy got in the way. Honest Jason, Matt punched out first, Jeremy only fought back"

"Matthew Mckay is that true, were you going to try and grab that little girl?"

"Yes sir I was only after she pushed me into the mud."

"Well son, I think you owe Jeremy and Sally an apology. And a thank you."

"Thank you, what for sir?"

"They taught you a lesson alright. One about friendship. See son, there are two kinds of friends. One is the kind you play with every day and the other is the kind you can trust to stick up for you no matter what. Those kinds are called "Best Friends" That's the kind of friends that Jeremy and Sally are."

"Are we really best friends, Jeremy?"  
"D-dunno S-Sally never had one before," said the boy. Then he looked at his brothers who nodded at him. "But if we are we should shake on it." With that Jeremy put his arm out with his fist closed and pointed down in the Bolt brothers handshake. "Now Sally, put your hand on mine"

" 'Kay Jeremy" and at the same time they said "Best Friends Forever."

Matt walked up to them, "Sorry Jeremy, Sally."

"S-sure M-matt."

" 'Sokay Matt. I'm sorry too for pushing you in the mud puddle," said Sally. Then she turned to Mr. McKay. "Can Matt come with us to Mr. Perkins store? I have a penny and can buy him a licorice."

"Sure Sally, but have Ben put three pieces of licorice on my bill. Matt can work it off at the blacksmiths."

"Before you go, Jeremy,when you get done at Ben's we want you and Sally back at the cabin to talk about this kitten business."

"Y-yes J-Jason."

"Yes Jason."

And off the three youngsters went. Matt had made two new friends that day but Jeremy and Sally had become the deepest kind of friends, they were truly best friends and inseparable from that day on.


End file.
